Les Miserables
by Storyguy567
Summary: [AU all human, some OOC] A convict on the run, the officer who hunts him, a single mother who is forced into prostitution to support her daughter, two shady crooks, and other stories make up this tale of drama set in 1700s France. Crappy summary I know, but it's really good. Trust me. Warning: character death. Please review as well. LOVE REVIEWS!
1. The Work Song and the Bishop

**This is something I had wanted to do for a while now. But I had never gotten the initiative to do it. Until now for some reason. I know some people don't like recreation fics or song fics like this, but I just want to write this.**

**PS I am a review ADDICT! Which means that if you don't review, I don't continue the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or the songs. All I did was combine them.**

* * *

_**Les Miserables**_

**The Work Song and the Bishop**

The sun bore down hotter than usual. Even in the water, the men still felt the insufferable burning of the heat of the vicious sun.

In the water of the harbor were large groups of men in lines. Their clothes were tattered, torn, and worn. Their hair was collectively butchered to stay short. Their bodies suffered from lack of food, yet they had acquired muscles from the hard labor. Other than hair color, the men blended into one another, impossible to differ.

These were prisoners. Each sentenced for various crimes; they were all forced to work together to pull a large galley ship into port.

All around the harbor, men in blue uniforms stood and paced. Some carried swords, others carried rifles. They were the guards in charge of managing the prisoners. Making sure they remained in line.

The men worked and grunted in unison, and they even sang…or chanted…they couldn't tell what it was. Their hope was that it would distract them from their suffering. However, their suffering was what they chanted about.

_Look down, look down!  
Don't look them in the eye!  
Look down, look down!  
You're here until you die!_

One of the prisoner let go of the massive rope, wiping his brow. He looked up into the sky, utter misery in his eyes.

_The sun is strong!  
It's hot as hell below!_

At the shouting of one of the guards, the prisoner immediately grabbed the rope and resumed pulling the ship in. The prisoners ignored their inmate's complaint.

_Look down, look down!  
There's twenty years to go._

Another prisoner was reduced to tears. He hadn't been here long, but he felt the torture like years of imprisonment.

_I've done no wrong,  
Sweet Jesus hear my prayer!_

The prisoners ignored him, still pulling the ship. The large vessel moving inch by inch.

_Look down, look down!  
Sweet Jesus doesn't care!_

Each prisoner had their own story. Lost dreams. Shattered reality. Family waiting, or so they thought. Or so one thought so.

_I know she'll wait,  
I know that she'll be true._

Another prisoner in their line placed his hand on the prisoner's shoulder. He knew the harsh truth of the world and told it to the inmate.

_Look down, look down!  
They've all forgotten you!_

They had managed to pull the boat into the harbor. One of the guards pulled out a whistle and blew it. The prisoners dropped the ropes. In single file lines, they made their way back to harbor and stepped onto dry land. Their soaked clothes and bodies added only to the misery. As they stepped on land, the guards saw once again the chains that kept everyone together.

One of the prisoners was really jumpy. He tried to break the line. He was to be set free in a few weeks' time.

_When I get free, ya won't see me  
Here for dust!_

One of the guards kicked the excitable prisoner in the back, forcing him back into the line of his chain gang. The foot to his back made him lose all his energy as he trudged with everyone else.

A man in uniform walked into the scene. He wore the same crisp blue uniform that the other guards worn but he had a long black coat on over it. He also had on a black bicorne hat over his short cut light brown hair. Wedged between his right arm and his side was a rapier wrapped in black sheath. His blue eyes, hardened by the ways of the world, bore into the prisoners shuffling back to the prison. His face held signs of stubble, but the prisoners didn't notice. Their heads were down, focused on the ground in front of their feet.

_Look down, Look down!  
Don't look them in the eye!_

Unable to take it, an elderly prisoner, possibly the oldest fell to his knees, stopping his chain gang. The old prisoner threw his hands into the air.

_How long, oh Lord  
Before you let me die?_

Two guards picked him up, manhandling him roughly, and forcing him to keep walking. He fell into the unison of the shuffling.

_Look down, look down,  
You'll always be a slave!  
Look down, look down,  
You're standing in your grave!_

The man walked forward. He reached into a pocket in his coat and pulled out a yellow slip. The prisoner's looked up and stopped moving. They knew he was important. The officer walked through between the lines of the chain gangs.

_Now bring me prisoner 24601.  
Your time is up and your parole's begun.  
You know what that means._

"Yes!" A prisoner spoke from behind the officer. He turned around to meet the inmate. Like the rest, his clothes were tattered rags. His dark brown hair was butchered to near baldness, and he had a bear growing to just below his chin. His green eyes were cold, from years in prison. Through the tears in his rags, the officer could see muscles built up from years of grueling labor. He stepped out of the chain gang, and the officer held up his hand to stop guards from forcing him back. He repeated himself.

**Yes, it means I'm free!**

The officer shook his head. "No." He said bluntly. He held up the yellow slip.

_It means you get  
Your yellow ticket-of-leave  
You are a thief_

The prisoner shook his head. "I stole a loaf of bread!" He declared.

The officer stepped forward. "You robbed a house!"

"I broke a windowpane." He stepped back. This prisoner knew not to engage with officers. He tried to prove his innocence one last time.

**My sister's child was close to death!  
We were starving!**

The officer cut him off. He wanted to make sure this inmate knew the severity of what he did.

_You still starve again!  
Unless you learn the meaning of the law!_

The prisoner glared at the officer. He took the slip and examined it. The guards unchained him and he began to walk as he spoke under his breath.

**I know the meaning of those nineteen years  
A slave of the law!**

The officer walked up to his. He pulled his sword out from under his arm, but did not draw it from its sheath. He placed it in front of the prisoner, stopping him.

_Five years for what you did.  
The rest because you tried to run.  
Yes 24601-_

"My name is Alaric Saltzman!" The prisoner glared at the officer. The officer moved to Alaric's front and got inches away from him, both eye to eye.

_And I'm Niklaus.  
Do not forget my name!  
Do not forget me.  
24601_

He stepped out of the way, and Alaric immediately resumed walking. Something stirring deep inside him. Even the prisoner's continued chant couldn't bring him down.

_Look down, look down  
You'll always be a slave!  
Look down, look down  
You're standing in your grave!_

Once far away from the terrible hell, Alaric ran into an alleyway. He unfolded the yellow slip and looked at it. It said he had to be in Paris in two months' time, otherwise he'd be accused and arrested of breaking parole. It also said that he was supposed to be a "dangerous criminal," and treated with extreme caution.

Alaric stepped out of the alley. It would be a long walk to Paris. And if he wanted to get there, he needed to start walking. Besides, he could find temporary work along the way. Or at least, he hoped so.

* * *

"I would help you if I could," an old woman in front of an inn said to him, "but we have no rooms."

"I'll sleep in the barn." Alaric exclaimed. An large man came out of the building behind her. "I'll have no criminals in my inn! Now get out or I'll have the law drag you out!" He stormed back into the building.

Dejected, Alaric turned around to travel on for the night as he had no lodging.

"Wait!" The innkeeper's wife called. Alaric stopped and turned around. "Wait right there." The old woman went into the inn. Minutes later, she came out with a tattered old coat and green cap. "A customer left these weeks ago." She explained. "You take them. For the cold." She held them out.

Alaric took them. "Thanks." He mumbled hoarsely. He put the hat on, and then pulled the coat over him as he walked away from the inn.

After almost twenty years in prison, the act of the innkeeper helped to kill his faith in humanity. It didn't matter though. His faith in humanity had been dying in the last 20 years.

* * *

It had been three days since the incident at the inn. Alaric had traveled on little food, drink, and sleep. He had found temporary work, hoping to get some money. It was field work. Not merely as grueling as pulling ships into port, but it would suffice.

At the end of the day, the foreman gathered all the workers. He handed each of them a handful of money. Then he got to Alaric. He gave him a long hard look, and then the mark on his chest. A mark Alaric had since forgotten about. When he first gotten to prison, they had branded him, a scar that would forever signify he was a criminal. The brand resembled a hammer, signifying hard labor, his sentence.

"I'm sorry." The foreman grumbled dumping the francs in his hand. Alaric frowned. The foreman continued. "That is all I can' give you."

"This is half of what the other men are given." Alaric was angry. "This doesn't buy all the sweat I poured into my work!"

One of the workers scoffed. "You're a criminal." He sneered. "It's plane for everyone to see. Why should be given the same as honest men like us." The other's cheered in agreement. Alaric would have punched him, but the foreman held him back, as if he predicted what was going to happen.

"Just take your money and go!" The foreman instructed. "It's more harm than good to keep you here."

Alaric gave everyone a hard look. He turned and left, walking down the road.

He might have been free from one prison, but he was placed in another. A prison of accusing looks, and hatred from others.

* * *

Five days. Five days he traveled since then. He was weary and tired. Even with the money he earned, no one would feed him because of his criminal status. On the fifth night, he was exhausted, running on an empty stomach. He collapsed in front of a small building outside of the current town he was in.

He was tired and delirious. He thought he heard a creaking door before being bathed in a golden light. He looked up through blurry vision to see the outline of a man clothed in black. He could see the figure bend down and extend his hand out.

_Come in, sir, for you are weary.  
And the night is cold out here._

Alaric took his hand and weakly pulled himself to his feet. The man talking to him was a bishop. He must have collapsed outside a church. His state of malnutrition made him hug his coat around himself; it was a lot colder when one was starving. Alaric looked at the bishop. He was a young man with curly black hair and beard. He was clothed in a black robe and held a lantern up. He opened the door, and gestured for Alaric to step inside.

_Though our lives are very humble,  
What we have, we have to share._

Hesitantly, Alaric stepped inside. The bishop entered behind him and closed the door. A young woman with blonde hair and a simple ground came to meet them.

"Bishop Shane?" She asked upon seeing Alaric. She then saw the brand on his chest and gasped, stepping back as she realized what he was.

"Miss Jenna." Shane said calmly. "That is no way to treat a guest. Please, get him some supper. And the good silver please."

"But he is a criminal." She stated. "He would kill and rob us."

"He is a child of god as are we all!" He said firmly. "Now, supper on the good silver."

The woman, Jenna nodded and went back down the corridor. The bishop, Shane, stepped in front of Alaric and led him down the hall to a dining are.

_There is wine here to revive.  
There is bread to make you strong.  
There's a bed to rest till morning;  
Rest from pain, and rest from wrong._

"You will stay the night here tonight my child." Shane said. It sounded like a request, but it was order. Alaric watched as he was given bread and wine in the most beautiful silver he had ever seen. The table was lit by two gorgeous silver candlesticks. Immediately, his hunger and thirst took over and he stuffed his face like he might never get a meal like this again.

Bishop Shane meanwhile turned to Jenna. "Go prepare a bed for our guest please." Jenna huffed, not liking the idea of letting a convict stay, but she did as she was told.

"She is right to scorn me." Alaric said with a mouth full of food. He held up that yellow slip that had condemned him. "I am a criminal. Very dangerous."

The bishop read over the slip, and then gave Alaric a warm smile. "In god's eyes, we are all innocent." He noticed the plate and goblet were empty almost as quickly as they had been filled. "Would you like more?" He asked Alaric.

He shook his head. "I haven't eaten in so long. I don't think I could eat another bite." Alaric looked around the church. Behind him, he saw a cabinet full of beautiful silver tableware just like his plate and goblet and the candlesticks.

"It is late." The bishop Shane said, causing Alaric to turn back to him. "You need rest. I will show you to your bed for the night."

That night Alaric had trouble sleeping. The nightmares of what he endured during the nineteen years in prison haunted his dreams. He lay awake, remembering the silver he had eaten off of. It felt good…eating off silver. Like royalty. Quickly, he got out of bed. He put his tattered old coat back on. And grabbed the pillow case off his pillow. This was justified, he defended to himself. The world had wronged him so this would make it right.

He crept back into the dining area and found the cabinet unlocked. He opened the doors to see all the silver. Immediately he grabbed everything. Plates, spoons, bowls, forks, goblets, knives, everything he could. Once the bag was full of silver, Alaric left the church in the dead of the night.

Somewhere deep down, he knew what he was doing was wrong, but after what the world had done to him, he didn't care.

* * *

**So this is the first chapter of my experimental work in progress. For those of you familiar with _Les Mis_, I am trying to base it off the musical, not the movie. I think that gives me a bit more freedom with the imagery and characters. I'm not doing all the songs, but I will do a lot of them.**

**Like I said, I'm a review addict. So review this. I want to see the feedback to see if it's worth continuing.**


	2. What have I Done?

**Well I was hoping to get more reviews, but glad to see people like this story. So with my other one, **_**Kingdom of the Sky**_**, I will continue this one.**

**PS I am a review ADDICT! Which means that if you don't review, I don't continue the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or the songs. All I did was combine them.**

* * *

_**Les Miserables**_

**What have I Done**

The bishop Atticus Shane once again shook his head to Jenna. "I've already said I don't want to talk about it." When they woke that morning, they found that their guest had disappeared as had all their silver, except for the two candlesticks. Jenna was set on it being their guest from last night. Shane wasn't so sure. In that man's eyes, he had seen something; a light that was fading, but had yet to be diminished. The bishop wanted to strengthen that light. Save him.

The bishop was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the sounds of chains and grunting. Atticus stepped out of his quarters and into the church. He saw three gendarmes (police) holding down Alaric on his knees.

"On your feet!" One of them growled and kicked him down. Another held up a pillowcase, which Atticus realized also went missing when he heard the metallic clang from within.

"Monsignor," one of them addressed, "we have your silver." He pointed to Alaric, who got back up to his knees. "We caught this man red handed. He had the nerve to say you gave this to him."

Atticus looked at Alaric. What that officer had said had given him an idea. He knew how to save this man. He leaned in toward Jenna. "Go into the kitchen." He whispered, so only she could hear. "Fetch the candlesticks."

Jenna, without a word left to do what she was asked. Atticus turned to the officers and Alaric. "That is right." The guards' expressions were ones of shock. Alaric looked up. His eyes were also full of surprise. Why would this bishop help him? No one else did.

Jenna came back with the two extravagant silver candlesticks. Atticus took them from her and approached Alaric.

**But my friend, you left so early  
Surely something slipped your mind  
You forgot I gave these also.  
Would you leave the best behind?**

Attic placed the candlesticks in his hands, then he looked to the officers. "Release him. This man has spoken true." One of the guards unlocked the chains around Alaric's wrists and took them.

**I commend you for your duty  
Now God's blessing go with you.**

Still in a state of shock, the guards turned and left. Atticus watched them leave until the door closed behind them. He then asked Jenna to leave, and she did (huffing as she did). Once they were alone, he turned to Alaric, still on his knees, looking at the candlesticks.

**But remember this my brother  
See in this some higher plan.  
You must use this precious silver  
To become an honest man.**

As he gave Alaric his instructions, he pulled him to his feet.

**By the witness of the martyrs,  
By the passion and the blood,  
God has raised you out of darkness.  
I have saved your soul for god.**

"These candlesticks will fetch you far more than the rest of the silver ever could." Atticus said. "I have bought your soul from Satan. Now you must make your own path in the light." His smile was warm. "I know follow your own path. I have business to attend to. Feel free to do as you wish." And with that, Atticus left.

He left Alaric alone to his own thoughts.

* * *

It was sunset. Alaric was still in the church. He still couldn't grasp what had happened that morning. Not only was he caught stealing the bishop's silver, but the bishop confirmed his lie. Why would he do that? And then he gave Alaric two candlesticks which were even more valuable than the rest of the silver. The condition was that he change his life.

Alaric's grip on the candlesticks tightened. Even know the force of the bishop's kind act brought him to his knees. He looked up at the giant cross in front of him. After everything he had done, looking at that cause brought shame upon him and he lowered his head to the ground. He began to question everything that had happened. Where did he go wrong?

_What have I done?  
Sweet Jesus, what have I done?  
Become a thief in the night,  
Become a dog on the run!  
Have I fallen so far,  
And is the hour so late,  
That nothing remains but the cry of my hate?  
The cries in the dark that nobody hears,  
Here where I stand at the turning of the years?_

Alaric suddenly felt overcome by rage. He looked up at the cross. Why now? Why would someone care now? He suffered for twenty years because he stole a loaf of bread. Where was compassion then? His questioning had become an angry rant to the cruel world as he kept his eyes on the floor.

_If there's another way to go,  
I lost it twenty long years ago!  
My life was a war that could never be won!  
They gave me a number and murdered Saltzman  
When they chained me and left me for dead!  
Just for stealing a mouthful of bread!_

He looked up at the cross, and once again the shame came upon him. It was hard to stay mad when he looked to that symbol of redemption. He looked at the candlesticks in his hands. And then he remembered the bishop.

_Yet why did allow this man  
To touch my soul, and teach me love?  
He treated me like any other.  
He gave me his trust  
He called me brother.  
My life he claims for God above.  
Can such things be?  
For I have come to hate the world,  
This world that always hated me._

Alaric stood to his feet. The sun had vanished below the horizon but there was still some light out. He kept his eyes on the cross as he slowly backed out of the room. Why now should he feel regret? Why now would he seek redemption? The world had hardened him and that's how he survived. He turned and walked down the hallway towards the exit, candlesticks in hand.

_Take an eye for an eye!  
Turn your heart into stone!  
This is all I have lived for!  
This is all I have known!_

He looked to the door. He was about to leave when the realization of what could have happened set in. He transferred both candlesticks, reached into his coat pocket with his free hand, and pulled out the yellow slip of paper. He remembered he was still a convict. He clutched his heart, it ached in pain when he realized the consequences of what the bishop did for him.

_One word from him and I'd be back  
Beneath the lash, upon the rack.  
Instead he offers me my freedom.  
I feel my shame inside me like a knife._

The inner turmoil and the shame he was feeling brought tears to his eyes, and with them the memory of his words. He pushed open the doors and ran out into the slowly coming night.

_He told me that I had a soul.  
What spirit comes to move my life?  
Is there another way to go?_

It was suddenly night all around him. It was darker all around him. Even in the night sky, there was only blackness. Alaric suddenly felt very scared. Is this what it would be like all his life? Shrouded in darkness. He fell to his knees again.

_I am reaching, but I fall,  
And the night is closing in,  
And I stare into the void,  
To the whirlpool of my sin._

"No!" He exclaimed. He got to his feet. "Not anymore!" Looking at the candlesticks, he felt something he never felt before. Pride. Courage. Inner strength. His fist closed around the yellow slip, crushing it. He now had a desire to commit to the Bishop's wish. A desire to change who he was…for the better.

_I'll escape now from that world!  
The world of Alaric Saltzman!  
Alaric Saltzman is NOTHING now!  
Another story must begin!_

Alaric held up the yellow slip and tore it to shreds. He threw the scraps in the sky, letting go of who he was.

He broke parole. He was free. Free to start over. Suddenly, the night didn't seem as dark as it had been

* * *

**Ok. That was a treat. Remember to keep reviewing, and I will keep updating. Until next time.**


	3. At the End of the Day

**Well I was hoping to get more reviews, but glad to see people like this story. So with my other one, **_**Kingdom of the Sky**_**, I will continue this one.**

**PS I am a review ADDICT! Which means that if you don't review, I don't continue the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or the songs. All I did was combine them.**

* * *

_**Les Miserables**_

**At the End of the Day**

_(Eight years later)_

Eight years. It had been eight years since Niklaus last saw prisoner 24601. Alaric Saltzman. No one had seen him after he was released. The con had eluded him. More than ever, Niklaus was seeking him in order to see Justice done.

But hunting Alaric wasn't his job anymore.

A few days ago, the mayor of a small town known as Montreuil-sur-Mer sent a letter to Paris seeking a man of the law to sheriff the town. Niklaus was the most qualified, so he was sent. He had come a long way since being a prison guard. Now, he was an officer of the law.

Riding through the streets on horseback, Niklaus could see why the town was in need of an officer. Everywhere he looked, the streets were crowded by the likes of the poor. Mere beggars who couldn't work or were too lazy too. It sickened him to see these people on the streets. They refused to work, so instead they thought begging for money would suit them better. Their cries fell on deaf ears as Niklaus rode past them.

_At the end of the day you're another day older  
And that's all you can say for the life of the poor  
It's a struggle, it's a war  
And there's nothing that anyone's giving  
One more day standing about, what is it for?  
One day less to be living._

Niklaus pulled his coat over himself. It was the last days of autumn. Winter wasn't here yet, but he could feel it's icy breath. Despite his discomfort in the cold, he looked at the poor with pitiless eyes as they continued their panhandling.

_At the end of the day you're another day colder  
And the shirt on your back doesn't keep out the chill  
And the righteous hurry past  
They don't hear the little ones crying  
And the winter is coming on fast, ready to kill  
One day nearer to dying!_

Niklaus' instructions were clear. Ride to Montreuil-sur-Mer, and seek the mayor to report for duty. He was told to seek the factory. Niklaus had heard stories about the mayor. How he industrialized the town, and increased production thus increasing profit. He then used the money to benefit the town. Fix old buildings and build new ones. Even give to the poor. That is why it didn't surprise Niklaus to see the crowd at its largest at the gates of the factory. To these denizens, the mayor was a symbol of hope.

_At the end of the day there's another day dawning  
And the sun in the morning is waiting to rise  
Like the waves crash on the sand  
Like a storm that'll break any second  
There's a hunger in the land  
There's a reckoning still to be reckoned and  
There's gonna be hell to pay  
At the end of the day!_

The crowd parted as Niklaus rode through them, making a path. He saw an elderly woman on the other side of the gate. She wiggled her finger beckoning him closer. Niklaus did as obliged and rode right up to the gate.

"Are you the officer from Paris?" She asked.

Niklaus nodded and reached into his coat pocket; pulling out papers he reached through the bard and handed them to the women. He spoke as he looked them over. "I am Niklaus Mikaelson. That is my transfer request along with the mayor's letter."

The old woman nodded and pulled out a key. She unlocked the gate and opened it enough for Niklaus and his horse to get through. Once inside, she closed the gate behind him and locked it.

"Monsieur Madeline regrets he wasn't here to inform you." She apologized to him. "He had business that came up and asked me to escort you to his office."

Niklaus nodded. "Then by all means, lead the way." He dismounted his horse and hitched him to the post beside the front doors. The woman pushed on aside and allowed Niklaus to step in.

Once inside, Niklaus took off his bicorne hat and the old woman stepped in front of him. The room was vast and in the center were long tables, each with women lined up on either side. Niklaus watched as the women strung glass beads onto twine, making necklaces. The women had one blue aprons over their clothes.

The old woman tapped his shoulder, causing the officer to turn to him. She led him around the edge of the factory. "Is this all the factory is?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No. We're also a paper mill. But Monsieur Madeline has the men work there. He keeps them separated for the sake of morals." She explained. That was something Niklaus could agree with. If men and women worked together, the temptation and lust for the opposite sex would interfere with the work.

The old woman led Niklaus up a small staircase at the other end of the factory, opposite the entrance and behind a wooden door into the mayor's office. It was quite small. Cozy really. A desk and two chairs at one end. Two exits as well. One going to the women's area, from which Niklaus just entered, and another on the opposite wall which, Nikalus assumed, went to the paper mill.

"If you'll kindly wait here," the old woman informed, "I'll notify Monsieur Madeline you're here. I have business to attend to. The foreman will notify Monsieur le Mayor you have arrived."

Niklaus nodded. "Thank you for your help."

The old woman nodded and vanished out the door they both came in, closing it behind her. Niklaus sat down in one of the chairs. He couldn't wait to meet the mayor, this Monsieur Madeline.

* * *

The foreman overlooked the women on the factory floor. He was an older man, probably in his forties. He stood as about 6 feet with an average build and short blonde hair. He saw women conversing and giggling. That meant they were working slower. To get production back on track, he went to them, stepping between them to stop their conversation, and remind them of the value of their work.

**At the end of the day you get nothing for nothing.  
Sitting flat on your butt doesn't buy any bread.**

The foreman vanished from between them and went to manage the other women, to make sure they were on track. Occasionally, he would let his hand slip, and glide across a woman's bottom as he walked by. They didn't need the foreman reminding them why they worked. They knew well enough.

_There are children back at home.  
And the children have got to be fed.  
And we're lucky to be in a job._

"And in a bed." The foreman whispered as he walked behind one of the women, stroking her bottom. The woman gasped and turned around. The foreman gave her a wink before moving on to examine the others. The woman sighed in relief when he left.

_And we're counting our blessings._

Immediately the woman, Hayley and the two women on either side of her began speaking in hushed tones, gossiping really.

_Have you seen how the foreman is fuming today?  
With his terrible breath and his wandering hands?_

The woman on Hayley's left nodded in agreement and gestured over to the foreman talking to a table away from them. It was fairly obvious she was the most beautiful woman working, earning the jealousy of many in the factory. She hand golden blonde locks that cascaded down her back in curls and dazzling blue eyes. Hayley and the other women watched as the foreman made his advances, including groping her. The woman pulled his hand off her body. They all scoffed and sneered at her innocence. They knew why the foreman was feeling so lecherous. It was always about her.

_It's because little Caroline won't give him his way_  
**Take a look at his trousers, you'll see where he stands.**

The women giggled. They noticed the foreman looking at them. They stopped their actions and went back to work. Hayley looked up to make sure the foreman's attention was elsewhere before she continued their conversation.

_And the boss, he never knows  
That the foreman is always on heat_

The woman on the other side of her laughed.

**If Caroline doesn't look out  
Watch how she goes.  
She'll be out on the street!**

From outside the women heard the clock ring two. Two o'clock. Work was finished. Collectively, as if a single entity, the women stepped away from the tables, pulled off their aprons, folded them, and set them down on the benches as they finished their shift.

_At the end of the day it's another day over  
With enough in your pocket to last for a week  
Pay the landlord, pay the shop  
Keep on grafting as long as you're able  
Keep on grafting till you drop  
Or it's back to the crumbs off the table  
You've got to pay your way  
At the end of the day!_

From out of the pocket of her green dress, Caroline pulled out a slip of paper. A letter she had received earlier that morning. She didn't know how many times she read it, but she felt she needed to read it again. Although, as she unfolded it, she didn't see Hayley run up behind her and snatch it out of her hand. Caroline gasped and turned around. No. She couldn't. No one could know. Hayley smirked at her shocked expression. The other women held Caroline back as Hayley casually unfolded the letter.

_And what have we here, little innocent sister?  
Come on Caroline, let's have all the news?_

Hayley read the words aloud to the other women. Her smug expression slowly dropped as she read each word.

"_Dear Caroline,  
You must send us more money  
Your child needs a doctor  
There's no time to lose."_

Hayley and the other women stared shocked at Caroline. Sweet virtuous Caroline. Montreuil-sur-Mer was a small town. The kind of town where everyone knows everyone. And everyone knew Caroline wasn't married. So, little Caroline had a secret? The worst secret anyone could have. She had a child out of wedlock. Hayley smirked. Now it all made sense. And, she could take a decent guess at the other ways Caroline supported her daughter.

Caroline broke through the other women. She couldn't believe it. They knew now. She ran up to Hayley, her face wearing a hard expression on her face. She hated the judgmental look Hayley gave her. Hayley, who had secrets of her own. She snatched the letter out of Hayley's hand.

**Give that letter to me  
It is none of your business  
With a husband at home  
And a bit on the side!**

Hayley glared at her. Caroline circled the room trying to appeal to the other women. After all, she wasn't the only one with a secret.

**Is there anyone here  
Who can swear before God  
She has nothing to fear?  
She has nothing to hide?**

"You little whore!" Hayley yelled. "How dare you! You think that we'll allow you to stay here while you sleep around?" In her anger, Hayley slapped Caroline. Caroline gasped and rubbed her cheek, it stung slightly. How dare Hayley! Her anger getting the better of her, she ran at the dark-haired girl.

* * *

Alaric walked through the streets. Ever since the bishop saved his life, Alaric dedicated himself to changing. He came across Montreuil-sur-Mer, and decided to make his new start there. He changed his name to Madeline and sold the silver the bishop gave him. With the fortune he acquired from it, he helped the poor as much as he could. He built the factories and industrialized the town. It took eight years, but he had become an honest man the Bishop Shane had wanted him to be. After that, the people of Montruil-sur-Mer made him mayor. Alaric saw it as a blessing, that he could help the people even more.

Alaric had also come a long way physically in the eight years as well. He allowed his hair to grow out, and then he had cut it short. He shaved off his long scruffy beard, but allowed a shadow to remain on his face.

The old woman, whom he hired as the overseer of both factories, walked up to him.

"Good afternoon." Alaric greeted her as he stepped through the gate.

"To you as well." She returned the greeting. "The inspector from Paris arrived this morning. He's waiting in your office now."

Alaric nodded. "Thank you."

He stepped through the door, and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him. The women were gathered around two workers engaged in a physical altercation.

"Monsieur Madeline!" The foreman gasped. Alaric ignored him and stepped amongst the women, trying to separate them.

_Will someone tear these two apart  
What is this fighting all about?  
This is a factory, not a circus!  
Now, come on ladies, settle down  
I run a business of repute  
I am the Mayor of this town_

Alaric stopped. He looked up to his office and the window. He saw the inspector sitting there. His eyes widened only for a fraction He would know him anywhere. Niklaus Mikaelson. The man who released him on parole. His words still rang in Alaric's mind as if he was speaking them right now. _'Do not forget my name.'_ And he didn't.

Figuring that he had more important issues to deal with, Alaric turned to foreman. "I look to you to deal with this. Be as patient as you can."

"Yes Monsieur." The foreman nodded. Alaric vanished went upstairs to his office and vanished behind the door.

The foreman turned to the women. "Now how did this begin?" He asked. His voice was low and stern.

Caroline opened her mouth to speak but Hayley beat her to the punch.

_At the end of the day  
She's the one who began it!  
There's a kid that she's hiding  
In some little town  
There's a man she has to pay  
You can guess how she picks up the extra  
You can bet she's earning her keep  
Sleeping around  
And the boss wouldn't like it!_

Caroline shook her head. Hayley was insinuating she was a whore. It wasn't true. The very notion disgusted Caroline. The foreman looked to her. Silently asking for her side of the story.

**Yes it's true there's a child  
And the child is my daughter  
And her father abandoned us  
Leaving us flat  
Now she lives with an innkeeper man  
And his wife  
And I pay for the child  
What's the matter with that?**

The very memory brought tears to her eyes. She hated remembering him. The other women however joined in with Hayley's testimony. Confirming her story, placing the blame on Caroline and corrupting her image.

_At the end of the day  
She'll be nothing but trouble  
And there's trouble for all  
When there's trouble for one!  
While we're earning our daily bread  
She's the one with her hands in the butter  
You must send the slut away  
Or we're all gonna end in the gutter  
And it's us who'll have to pay  
At the end of the day!_

The foreman stood in front of Caroline. He pulled her closer to him. Caroline tried to flinch away, his breath was atrocious. But he wouldn't let her go.

The foreman figured if all these women were telling the same story, then it had to be the truth. There was nothing keeping Caroline from him now.

_I might have known the bitch could bite  
I might have known the cat had claws  
I might have guessed your little secret  
Ah yes, the virtuous Caroline  
Who keeps herself so pure and clean  
You'd be the cause I had no doubt  
Of any trouble hereabout  
You play a virgin in the light  
But need no urgin' in the night._

"She's been laughing at you while she's having her men!" Hayley interjected. The foreman looked up at that and glared at the blonde in his arms struggling to get away. The other girls continued to help Hayley spout lies.

_She'll be nothing but trouble again and again!_

"You must sack her today!"

_Sack the girl today!_

Caroline finally had enough of the foreman. "NO!" She yelled and wrenched herself free of his grip.

"All right my girl." The foreman said stone faced. "On your way!"

Caroline shook her head. The foreman grabbed her wrist and began walking her out of the factory.

"No." She begged. "Please. No." She began to cry. She managed to pull away from her grip. "Monsieur le Mayor!" She tried to call, running for his office. The foreman wrapped his arms around her waist and began to drag her out. "MONSIEUR LE MAYOR!" She screamed. The foreman ignored her, and dragged her out the doors.

"PLEASE!" She screamed again. The foreman unlocked the gate and threw Caroline onto the ground at the other side. The foreman closed and locked the gate.

"PLEASE!" Caroline got onto her knees and clutched the bars of the gate. "Please I have a child!"

The foreman gave a disgusted sneer and threw coins at the ground in front of her before walking back to the factory. Caroline weakly pulled herself to her feet and wiped her eyes. She picked up the coins and turned away from the factory.

And with the rumors of the child she had out of wedlock, no one else would hire Caroline.

Without a job to pay for her daughter, there was only one place Caroline could go now.

* * *

**Ok. That was a treat. I tried to make the foreman resemble Mikael, but I don't know how well it worked. Remember to keep reviewing, and I will keep updating. Until next time.**


	4. Lovely Ladies

**Well I was hoping to get more reviews, but glad to see people like this story. PS I am a review ADDICT! Which means that if you don't review, I don't continue the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or the songs. All I did was combine them.**

* * *

_**Les Miserables**_

**Lovely Ladies**

Alaric stepped into his office and closed the door behind him. The sound caused Nikalus to turn to the mayor and bow to him as a sign of respect.

"Monsieur le Mayor." Klaus greeted. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his transfer forms from Paris. He held them out to Alaric who took them.

"You may call me Niklaus." The inspector rose as Alaric read over the forms. Despite remaining calm, Alaric was panicking. This man had kept him in hell for 19 years of his life.

"Everything seems to be in order here." Alaric said, keeping his calm demeanor. He folded up the papers and placed them on his desk. Niklaus wore a proud smile as he extended his hand outward. Tentatively, Alaric reached forward and shook it.

"Everyone in Paris talks about how you've revolutionized the city." Niklaus explained. Alaric opened the door to the empty factory. Niklaus nodded and stepped out. Alaric followed behind him. Niklaus continued. "You've become something of a folk hero in Paris."

"Is that right?" Alaric let out a chuckle. Niklaus nodded.

"I look forward to working with you Monsieur Madeline." Niklaus addressed Alaric by his alias.

"As do I inspector." Alaric lied flawlessly to the inspector before walking through the streets of Paris.

* * *

The sun had gone down over the city and a cloud of darkness covered the sky. Caroline walked through the darkness, a shawl wrapped tightly around her body. A layer of light snow covered the ground as it fell from the sky.

Caroline looked in the distance to see the docks. She could see the sailors heading toward the edge of the town. She turned away from the docks, letter clutched tightly in her hand. She must have read it a hundred times, for the words rang in her mind.

"Dear Caroline,

You must send us more money. Your child needs a Doctor. There's no time to lose."

Her only joy in the world, her little Vicki was in danger. Caroline needed to do what she could to pay for Vicki's medicine.

Caroline watched a particularly dark corner of town. A short, fat, dirty little man stepped out. In the distance, Caroline could see the flickering light of a candle in his hand. She watched as the man, opened a lantern and placed the candle inside. The glass panes on the window illuminated in a red color. Soon, other red lanterns joined it, and Caroline walked forward.

She was in the red light district now. She placed her hand on her necklace. It was a locket. Inside was a lock of Vicki's hair. To keep her daughter close to her. From the dimness of the red lights, Caroline saw women of all shapes and sizes step out of the shadows. They all wore their makeup thickly on their faces that they were ghostly white with blood red lips. Their dresses also varied, from new to old to clean to ragged, to colorful, to dull.

As Caroline approached the buildings, she was passed by eager sailors from the docks who only had one thing on their mind and made that clear.

_I smell women!  
Smell 'em in the air!  
Think I'll drop me anchor  
In that harbor over there!  
Lovely ladies  
Smell 'em through the smoke.  
Seven months at sea  
Can make you hungry for a poke!  
Even stokers need a little stoke!_

Caroline stepped aside and watched as the women stood up, and more stepped out of the shadows to greet the sailors. The showed off their bodies through their dresses as they…"advertised."

_Lovely ladies  
Waiting for a bite!  
Waiting for the customers  
Who only come at night!  
Lovely ladies  
Ready for the call!  
Standing up, or lying down,  
Or any way at all.  
Bargain Prices up against the wall!_

Caroline watched as an older woman walked toward her. Caroline slowly backed away until she pointed a finger at her and spoke in a naturally sultry voice.

_Come here my dear  
Let's see this trinket you wear.  
This bagatelle_

Caroline placed her hands on her necklace. She opened the locked and took the lock of Vicki's hair out of it. She then held it forward. "I'll sell it to you Madame." Caroline offered.

The woman outstretched her hand, and Caroline placed the necklace in it. The woman held up the necklace and examined it closely. She memorized every detail of the jewelry before she looked up to Caroline.

"I'll give you four."

Caroline gasped, outraged at the idea. "Four?" She asked. "That wouldn't pay for the chain."

The woman scoffed. "I'll give you five." She changed her price. "My dear, you're far too eager to sell. It's up to you." She held that necklace out to Caroline.

"It's all I have." Caroline stated, quickly losing hope of getting any money for Vicki.

"That's not my fault." The women handed Caroline the necklace and turned to leave

"Please make it ten." The woman stopped and turned back to Caroline.

_No more than five.  
My dear, we all must stay alive._

Caroline sighed in defeat and nodded. "Five." She nodded. The woman pulled out five francs and handed them to the blonde in exchange for the necklace.

She pointed into an alley between two dimly lit red buildings. "If you want more, there might be someone in there willing to help you." And the woman walked back into the building.

Caroline took a deep breath and walked through the streets, crowded with whores. Caroline was bumped and pushed around by eager men and willing whores as they continued to sell themselves.

_Lovely ladies  
Waiting in the dark!  
Ready for a thick one  
Or a quick one in the park!  
Long time short time  
Any time my dear.  
Costs a little extra if you want to take all year.  
Quick and cheap is underneath the pier!_

Caroline managed to run into the alley, out of the flow of traffic. She heard a shuffling behind her and turned around. Caroline looked upon an old hag. She wore tattered rags and a shawl wrapped on herself. She wore a wrinkled toothless grin that complimented her beady black eyes. Caroline backed into the wall as the hag approached her. She raised a thin bony hand and ran it through the girl's locks as she spoke in a raspy voice.

_What pretty hair.  
What pretty locks you've got there.  
What luck you got!  
It's worth a centime my dear.  
I'll take the lot._

Caroline pushed the hag off of her and backed out into the street.

**Don't touch me!  
Leave me alone!**

Caroline turned around to leave, but the hag's words stopped her.

_Let's make a price.  
I'll give you all of ten francs.  
Just think of that._

"It pays a debt." Caroline whispered to herself.

"Just think of that." The hag repeated.

Slowly, Caroline turned around and walked back to the old hag. She whispered to herself, trying to remain convinced this was the right thing to do.

**What can I do?  
It pays a debt.  
Ten francs may save my poor Vicki.**

The hag led Caroline into the building. She gestured to a stool and Caroline sat down. The crone pulled out a pair of shears and a knife. In the doorway, some of the whores had gathered to watch. As her dignity slowly died while her hear was sheared off, Caroline let her tears fall freely. Deep inside, she began feeling a hatred for the man responsible for her current misery. The noble Monsieur Madeline who had the foreman fire her for having a child. She kept the growing resentment bottled up inside her as she continued to watch her long golden locks fall.

Outside the sailors walking amongst the whores, boating to one another.

_Lovely lady!  
Fastest on the street  
Wasn't there three minutes  
She was back up on her feet_

_Lovely lady!  
What yer waiting for?  
Doesn't take a lot of savvy  
Just to be a whore  
Come on, lady  
What's a lady for?_

Caroline stepped out of the building. Now her blonde hair was reduced to butchered yellow that stopped in varying lengths around her head. From long locks that hung to her cheek, to patches of fuzz. She felt the chill of the cold air, and leaned against an alley wall.

One of the pimps noticed her. He grabbed a whore and pointed to the blonde with the hacksaw haircut.

_Give me the dirt  
Whose that bit over there?_

The whore scoffed and put her hands on her hips.

_A bit of skirt  
She's the one sold her hair.  
She's got a kid  
Sends her all that she can._

The pimp smirked as he walked to Caroline.

_I should have known  
There is always some man._

Caroline looked up as the pimp approached her. He held his hand out and enticed her to come forward.

_Lovely lady  
Come along and join us  
Love lady!_

Caroline screeched a sickening high pitched sound and ran into a different alley. She sat on the ground, hugging her knees to her. She didn't look up as one of the whores stood next to her, nor did she see the sympathetic look the prostitute gave her.

_Come on dearie, why all the fuss?  
You're no grander than the rest of us  
Life has dropped you at the bottom of the heap  
Join your sisters  
Make money in your sleep._

She gestured to several other prostitutes who walked forward and they surrounded the girl. They all swarmed Caroline as they took her into one of the brothels and took off her dress. They redressed Caroline in a green dress that hung low past her shoulders. The whores continued to wrap a pink corset around Caroline's waist. The blonde gasped as it was tightened around her. Another of the prostitutes poured thick white makeup onto her face, making it ghost white. Caroline looked down as pink rouge was put on her cheeks and her lips were painted red.

The whores grabbed Caroline and pulled her outside, as they continued to "encourage" her to choose this life.

_That's right dearie  
Show him what you got.  
That's right dearie,  
Let him have the lot._

Caroline stepped outside to see that more men had shown up. As the women went to entertain them, Caroline stepped back and hid in the shadows.

_Old men, young men, take 'em as they come  
Harbor rats and alley cats and every kind of scum  
Poor men, rich men, leaders of the land  
See them with their trousers off they're never quite as grand  
All it takes is money in your hand!_

A prostitute saw Caroline and grabbed her. Caroline did her best to protest, but it didn't help. She was brought to the front of the group and released when she saw a sailor approach her. Letting this one be Caroline's, the other whores stepped back.

_Lovely Ladies  
Going for a song  
Got a lot of callers  
But they never stay for long_

Caroline looked up to the sailor. He approached her, causing Caroline to step back. And then it hit her. This would be the only way to pay for Vicki. She swallowed whatever pride she had left along with her self-loathing. She took the sailor's hand and led him to one of the brothels. She tried her best to advertise, but her voice was shaky.

_Come on, Captain,  
you can wear your shoes  
Don't it make a change  
To have a girl who can't refuse_

She found an empty room and led him into it. Caroline whispered to herself so that he couldn't hear, trying to keep up the courage to do this.

_Easy money  
Lying on a bed  
Just as well they never see  
The hate that's in your head  
Don't they know they're making love  
To one already dead!_

Caroline was cut off when the sailor pushed her down on the bed. She gasped and looked up to see the sailor pushing her dress up to her knees.

She couldn't take it anymore. Caroline turned her head away and looked to the side. She heard rustling and a buckle jingling.

She closed her eyes when she felt the man on top of her. He was rough. Careless. Caroline closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears in as he breathed putrid breath on her neck. Caroline's body shook as he thrust into her.

It went on like that forever, or so Caroline thought. In reality, it was only a minute. Then she heard the exhale and felt him finish.

Feeling the worst was over, Caroline looked up to see the man pulling his trousers up. He tossed a handful of gold sous at her. They landed on the floor with a jingle as he left the room.

Laying on the bed, Caroline just stared at the ceiling.

And the self-hatred, which she buried when the man was having her way with her, came rushing back.

Everything in her life that could have possibly gone wrong, has already happened.

* * *

**Remember to keep reviewing, and I will keep updating. Until next time. And I can tell you right now, the next chapter is one of my favorites!**

**I know that I said I was going based on the stage musical rather than the movie, but this is the only thing I'm doing from the movie; sequencing **_**I Dreamed a Dream**_** after **_**Lovely Ladies**_** unlike before as is the case with the musical. I just think it's so much more powerful that way.**


	5. I Dreamed a Dream

**Well I was hoping to get more reviews, but glad to see people like this story. PS I am a review ADDICT! Which means that if you don't review, I don't continue the story.**

**I'm even more serious about the reviews because this is one of my favorite chapters!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or the songs. All I did was combine them.**

* * *

_**Les Miserables**_

**I Dreamed a Dream**

Caroline had stared at the ceiling for hours. She could tell it had been hours because the red lights from the lanterns outside went out. Only starlight beamed in through the window.

How could it have all gone so wrong? How could life be so cruel? Sighing, she closed her eyes, trying to remember when life was good to her. Trying to remember before she hit rock bottom.

_There was a time when men were kind,  
When their voices were soft,  
And their words inviting.  
There was a time when love was blind,  
When the world was a song,  
And the song was exciting.  
There was a time.  
Then it all went wrong._

Slowly, Caroline opened her eyes. She sat up on the bed, swinging her legs over the side. He grabbed the money the man from earlier had tossed to her. She found a place in her dress to store it safely. All of it would go to Vicki. Once the money was stored safely, Caroline looked to the ground. Her joy for her daughter was short lived as the feeling of self-loathing took over. She tried to focus on what little happy memories she had left.

_I dreamed a dream in time gone by.  
When hope was high,  
And life worth living.  
I dreamed that love would never die.  
I dreamed that god would be forgiving._

She stood up and ran a hand through her short, butchered blonde hair. Caroline walked out of the room, down the hall and out of the brothel. It must have been very early in the morning. The lights were out and no one was out. She looked up to the sky. The darkened skies were darker with the clouds, but the moon had shown through. She looked down to the snow covered ground and just walked around that darkened streets of the red light district.

_Then I was young and unafraid,  
And dreams were made, and used, and wasted.  
There was no ransom to be paid.  
No song unsung, no wine untasted._

She could feel her eyes sting with fresh tears. She used all her focus to keep the tears from escaping. No matter how hard she tried though, the good memories she had faded as she once again realized the hard truth of the world.

_But the tigers come at night  
With their voices soft as thunder,  
As they tear your hope apart,  
As they turn your dreams to shame!_

Caroline leaned against the sign of a building. She couldn't stop it anymore. A few tears trickled from her eyes down her cheeks. The one memory that was both her greatest joy and her greatest misery.

Vicki's father. Her only love. Caroline reached into her dress and found the lock of her daughter's hair she kept. She clutched it in her hands tightly as the tears started to roll faster at the memories of the man who loved and ruined her.

_He slept a summer by my side.  
He filled my days with endless wonder.  
He took my childhood in his stride,  
But he was gone when autumn came!_

Caroline wiped her arms across her eyes in a feeble attempt to dry them. But the tears kept coming. She knew Vicki's father would never come back, but it was the one thing she always hoped would happen. She hung her head as if her hope was shameful.

_And still I dream he'll come to me,  
That we will live the years together.  
But there are dreams that cannot be!  
And there are storms we cannot weather!_

In the darkness of the night, Caroline did the only thing she could think of. She tried to run from her thoughts. She ran deeper into the darkness of the alley. She ran so fast, she tripped over her own feet and came crashing down. She was on her hands and knees in the snow.

She didn't care anymore. She let the tears fall. She sobbed like the pathetic excuse of a woman she was, she sobbed. The quiet night air filled with the sounds of her weeping as she pounded the snowy ground with her fists.

_I had a dream my life would be  
So different from this hell I'm living!  
So different, now, from what it seemed!_

She suddenly stopped. She wiped her eyes, and rose to her feet. It was as if her heart just…shut off. Like everything she ever felt was switched off. In a way, it was. Caroline looked up at the moon as she realized the ultimate truth.

_Now life has killed the dream  
I dreamed_

Caroline Forbed walked back to the brother to try and get some sleep. All the self-loathing she felt wasn't there anymore. She had hardened her heart. The only time she could feel now was when she thought about her daughter Vicki.

Life had destroyed Caroline Forbes. She was now a broken woman.

* * *

**Remember to keep reviewing, and I will keep updating. Until next time. And I can tell you right now, the chapter is one of my favorites!**

**I know that I said I was going based on the stage musical rather than the movie, but this is the only thing I'm doing from the movie; sequencing **_**I Dreamed a Dream**_** after **_**Lovely Ladies**_** unlike before as is the case with the musical. I just think it's so much more powerful that way.**


	6. Caroline's Arrest

**Well I was hoping to get more reviews, but glad to see people like this story. PS I am a review ADDICT! Which means that if you don't review, I don't continue the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or the songs. All I did was combine them.**

* * *

_**Les Miserables**_

**Caroline's Arrest**

It had been almost five weeks since Caroline's fateful decision to become a prostitute. Here she was again on the streets.

Now the winter had settled in. Every night there was a fresh blanket of snow covering the ground. Caroline came out into the red light district as she always had every night for the past five weeks. Tonight she wore a rather slim, lustfully red dress that showed off what curves she had. She wore a red shawl over her bare shoulders. Beneath her destroyed, brittle blonde hair cut to varying lengths, Caroline's face was powdered ghost white and her eyes were framed in black. Her lips were painted as red as her dress.

But not even all that makeup could hide her misery. Three weeks ago, Caroline had started getting ill. She ignored it as best as she could. Even now, she felt another storm of coughs come on. She pulled out her handkerchief and put it to her mouth coughing into it. She pulled it away and gasped.

Blood. She had coughed up blood. She quickly put the rag back and leaned against the wall as if nothing had happened.

Across the street from the red light district, Alaric was out on the streets. He was doing what he could to help the poor. He found a man trying to sleep on the snow covered ground. Alaric woke him up. He placed a handful of money in the bum's hands. "Find yourself someplace warm to sleep." Alaric instructed. The man nodded and ran off to do just that.

Alaric watched the red light district from across the road. An obviously wealthy man in a finely tailored suit with a top hat and cane observed the women. He stopped on Caroline before he smirked at her.

_Here's something new.  
I think I'll give it a try.  
Come closer you!  
I like to see what I buy...  
The usual price,  
for just a slice of your pie_

He grabbed Caroline forcefully and pulled her to him. She grimaced as his foul breath assaulted her face. Caroline winced in his rough grip and wrenched herself free of him. She backed up, with a look of terror on her face.

**I don't want you.  
No, no, monsieur, let me go.**

The man growled and slammed his can on the ground. He shouted at Caroline in anger.

_Is this a trick?  
I won't pay more!_

Caroline could feel herself grow bold. She stood up in front of him, he posture became firm and strong, despite her ill physique.

"No not at all!" She refused him, speaking with a pride she didn't knew she still had.

The man growled again. He grabbed her by her dress and pulled her close to him.

_You've got some nerve  
You little whore!  
You've got some gall!_

He grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it down the front of her dress. Caroline screamed in what sounded like agony. The man only sneered and knocked her to her knees as he hurled insults at her.

_It's the same with a tart as it is with a grocer!  
The customer sees what he gets in advance!  
It's not up to the whore to say 'yes sir' or 'no sir,'  
It's not up to the harlot to pick or to choose,  
Or to lead me a dance!_

He raised his can and started beating the defenseless Caronline on the ground. She cried as the stick struck her back. She was overtaken by anger. It shone in her eyes like fire as she rose to her feet.

**I'll kill you, you bastard  
Try any of that!  
Even a whore  
Who has gone to the bad  
Won't be had by a rat!**

She rose to her feet and struck the man across the face. HARD! He reeled backwards. When he looked back to Caroline, she could see the damage she did. There were three fresh bleeding claw marks from her nails on his cheek. The man screamed and slapped her.

_By Christ you'll pay for what you have done  
This rat will make you bleed, you'll see!__  
__I guarantee, I'll make you suffer__  
__For this disturbance of the peace__  
__For this insult to life and property!_

He looked around. In the distance, he could see the silhouette of three police. He looked to Caroline and smirked before running to the police. A look of absolute horror crossed her face. If she was arrested, she couldn't support Vicki. She ran after him, coughing as she did. She grabbed the man by his shoulder and turned him around. She was desperate now. She needed to help her daughter.

**I beg you, don't report me sir,  
I'll do whatever you may want!**

"Make your excuse to the police." He sneered. Tears stung Caroline's eyes and ran down her face. She tried to hold him, begging him not to turn her in. The police walked forward to the scene. In the front, was Inspector Niklaus. The other two constables ran to the scene and restrained her, holding her back. Niklaus slowly walked to the two. His face was stone.

_Tell me quickly,  
What's the story?  
Who saw what and why and where?  
Let him give a full description,  
Let him answer to Niklaus.  
In this nest of whores and vipers  
Let one speak who saw it all.  
Who laid hands on this good man here?  
What's this substance of this brawl?_

The constables continued to restrain Caroline as the man stepped forward. He took off his top hat, acting like a modest citizen rather than the disgusting pig he was.

_Niklaus, would you believe it?  
I was crossing from the park,  
When this prostitute attacked me!  
You can see she left her mark._

Niklaus examined the claw marks on his cheek. He then walked forward. He looked down on Caroline with a hardened stone face.

_She will answer for her actions  
When you make a full report.  
You may rest assured monsieur,  
She will answer to the court._

Caroline looked up with tears in her eyes. She shook her head. She was the victim. She needed to defend herself. Vicki needed her.

**There's a child who sorely needs me!  
Please monsieur she's but that high.  
Holy God, is there no mercy!  
If I go to jail she'll die!**

Niklaus grabbed her by the collar of her dress. He pulled Caroline up to her feet and held her close. His cold eyes bore into hers as he spoke in a low dangerous and righteous tone.

_I have heard such protestations  
Every day for twenty years  
Let's have no more explanations  
Save your breath, and save your tears.  
Honest work, just reward  
That's the way to please the lord!_

Alaric couldn't take it anymore. He walked forward to the scene. The constables gasped and Niklaus stared wide-eyed. Caroline looked up before looking down again. A coughing fit over took her, but she could not cover it because her arms were restrained. Alaric watched her cough. He saw the red spots appear in the snow, and he knew she wouldn't last in a jail. Besides, she was innocent.

_A moment of your time Niklaus  
I do believe this woman's tale_

"But Monsieur Mayor!" Niklaus tried to cut him off. Alaric held up his hand, stopping Niklaus. He gestured to the constables, who let Caroline go. She sunk to her knees in the snow. He then turned back to Niklaus.

_You've done her duty  
Let her be.  
She needs a doctor  
Not a jail!_

"Monsieur Mayor!" Niklaus tried to assert himself.

Caroline looked up. The mayor was helping her. The same mayor who had her fired and ruined her life. She looked up to his back in disbelief. "C-can this b-be?" She managed to stutter out. Alaric turned around to look at the girl.

_Where will she end?  
This child without a friend?_

He got down on his knees to help her. He was about to offer his hand when he got a look at her face. He couldn't help but look familiar. He could have sworn she worked in his factory.

_I've seen your face before.  
Show me some way to help you.  
How have you come to grief  
In such a place as this?_

Caroline suddenly hissed and backed away from Alaric. She glared at him with cold, angry eyes. Tears of anger fell down her cheek.

**Monsieur don't mock me know I pray.  
It's hard enough I've lost my pride!  
You had your foreman send me away!  
Yes, you were there, and turned aside.**

Caroline leaned against the wall. She had another coughing fit, coughing her blood into the snow again. Alaric looked down in shame. This woman's misery was his fault. He was the one responsible for her.

**I never did no wrong.  
**_Is it true, what have I done?_

**My daughter's close to dying.  
**_To an innocent soul?_

**If there's a god above,  
**_Had I only known then_

**He'd let me die instead.**

Caroline suddenly fell forward into the snow. Alaric gasped. He pressed his finger to her neck. There was a pulse. She was still alive. She had passed out. He gathered the broken woman into his arms and lifted her up. He cradled her in his arms like a child as he began to walk away from the red light district.

_In his name, my task has just begun.  
I will see it done._

"But Monsieur Mayor!" Niklaus called after him.

"I will see it done." Alaric repeated.

"But Monsieur Mayor!" Niklaus ran after him.

Alaric stopped and turned to Niklaus. "I will see it done!" He repeated. Niklaus stopped dead in his tracks as Alaric walked into the night.

* * *

Alaric watched as the doctors and nuns examined and looked over Caroline. He prayed that he got her to the hospital on time. He sat down in the corner of the room, looking out the window into the night. She'd want to see her daughter. He'd make sure she got here soon.

"Monsiuer Madeline." The use of his alias pulled Alaric out of his thoughts. He looked to the doctor. He glanced at Caroline who appeared to lie asleep in bed.

"Yes doctor?" He asked, standing up.

The doctor looked down and shook his head. "We've done all we can." He said with a grim tone. "But the infection has spread too far through her body."

Alaric's eyes widened. He had shown up too late.

Caroline was going to die.

He looked to the fragile woman lying down in the bed. This revelation only fueled his desire to get her daughter to her.

"How long?" He asked the doctor.

"It will be a miracle if she lasts to see the sunset tomorrow."

"Thank you for your work doctor." Alaric shook his hand. "May I speak to her alone?"

"Of course monsieur." The doctor nodded and stepped out of the room.

Alaric walked over to Caroline's bedside. She had only a day to live and she'd spend it confined to this bed. She was going to die. But he would not tell her that. She needed something to live for.

"Monsieur." She breathed weakly.

"Caroline." He placed his hand on her cheek and rubbed it gently. She couldn't help but smile at the gesture.

"You should rest Caroline." He said. "But first I must ask, where is your child?"

And he saw it. Her eyes glimmered with life and hope. "The inn in Montfermeil."

He nodded. "I will send for her immediately."

He got up to leave the hospital. He heard her breath a "Thank you monsieur." Behind him.

Alaric had failed in saving Caroline. This time, he would not fail in getting her daughter to her.

Caroline, for the first time in a very long time, had fallen asleep happy. After her string of miseries she was going to see her one true joy. Her daughter was coming back to her.

* * *

**So a little bit on the ending. That scene was not in the musical nor the movie. I put it in to fill what I thought were plot holes.**

**Remember to keep reviewing, and I will keep updating. Until next time. **


	7. The Runaway Cart

**Well I was hoping to get more reviews, but glad to see people like this story. PS I am a review ADDICT! Which means that if you don't review, I don't continue the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or the songs. All I did was combine them.**

* * *

_**Les Miserables**_

**The Runaway Cart**

The next day, Alaric sat in his office in the factory. This morning, he was busy writing a letter. A letter to Vicki's caretakers, asking them to send Vicki to spend time with her dying mother. Time was of the essence. He would deliver the letter personally and take Vicki to Caroline.

The door opened. Alaric looked up to see Niklaus. Alaric's posture stiffened. Niklaus took off his bicorne hat and bowed to Alaric. "Forgive my intrusion Monsieur le Mayor."

"No worries inspector." Alaric stood. "What do you need?"

Niklaus bowed again. "I wish to apologize for the events of last night." He said. "I realize I was out of line."

Alaric smiled warmly. "There's no need to apologize." He said. Niklaus looked up with a shocked expression. Alaric continued. "You were only doing your duty."

Niklaus opened his mouth to protest. He had argued with authority. Why wasn't he being dismissed? He was about to voice his protests when they heard a commotion outside.

Alaric and Niklaus ran outside to the see the scene. It was horror. A horse-drawn cart had fallen over on its driver. The horse had run off through the streets. The driver was Alaric's foreman, Mikael. He was pinned between the wheel and the ground, as the cart slowly crushed his leg.

"What's going on?" Alaric asked, breaking through the crowd of panic-stricken citizens. "What happened?"

A woman turned to him. "Oh Monsieur Le Mayor," she weept, "it's horrible! Mikael lost control coming through the streets. His horse broke away. He got off to try and go after the horse, but one of the wheels broke and collapsed on him."

"Will anyone help him?" Alaric asked, taking off his coat, tossing it into the arms of one of the civilians.

He ran for the cart, but one of the men grabbed his arm. "No Monsueir!" He exclaimed. "The load is too heavy. You'll surely be crushed trying."

"I will not abandon a man to death!" Alaric growled as he wrenched his arm free. He examined the cart before turning around and placing his back against it. He slipped his hands on the underbelly of the cart. He used all his strength, grunting as he did. It was a struggle, but he managed to lift the cart up. Two men ran over and helped by pulling Mikael free of the cart. Alaric exhaled and dropped it.

Everyone gave their gratitude to Alaric, especially Mikael. But Niklaus only stared wide-eyed and mouth agape. He had never seen anyone with that kind of strength…save for one.

But no. It was impossible. It couldn't be. Not after….

Alaric was putting his coat back on. Mikael was being taken to a hospital to be tended to. The crowd dissipated, leaving only Alaric and Niklaus. The cop took this time to voice his thoughts to the mayor.

_Can this be true?  
I don't believe what I see.  
A man your age  
To be as strong as you are.  
A memory stirs.  
You make me think of a man  
From years ago.  
A man who broke his parole.  
He disappeared…_

Niklaus began to drift away in his memories. However, he saw the questioning look of Monsieur Madeline. He quickly bowed.

_Forgive me sir.  
I would not dare!_

Alaric pulled Niklaus back into the empty factory. He was panicking again, but didn't show it. It was obvious Niklaus was talking about him (Alaric). He had been a fool. Back in prison, Alaric had a reputation for his almost inhuman strength. But he didn't know for sure. Was Niklaus accusing him? Once they were in the factory, alone, he encouraged the constable to continue.

**Say what you must  
Don't leave it there.**

Niklaus nodded. He turned away, walking to the window. He looked out into the streets of the town as he remembered.

_I have only known one other  
Who can do what you have done  
He's a convict from the chain gang  
He's been ten years on the run.  
But he couldn't hide forever  
We have found his hideaway  
And he's just been re-arrested  
And he faces court today._

He turned to face the mayor again.

_Of course he now denies,  
You'd expect that from a con  
But he couldn't run forever  
No, not even Alaric Saltzman_

Alaric tried his best to keep his composure. Niklaus was a smart man. One slip up and the officer would be suspicious. Yet, how could he be calm? They arrested someone else, thinking it was him. He needed to make sure that there was doubt. Otherwise an innocent man would be condemned because of him.

**You say this denies it all  
And gives no sign of understanding or repentance?  
You say this man is going to trial  
And that he's sure to be returned  
To serve his sentence?  
Come to that, can you be sure  
That I am not your man?**

Niklaus chuckled and shook his head. He saw it now. The forgiveness in the mayor's eyes. There is no way this man, strong as he was for his age, could be the cold hearted convict. He put the man's fears to rest.

_I have known the thief for ages  
Tracked him down through thick and thin  
And to make the matter certain  
There's the brand upon his skin  
He will bend  
He will break  
This time, there is no mistake!_

Niklaus pulled out his pocket watch and examined. He put it back and bowed again. "You must excuse me sir." He said quickly. "I must head to the courthouse now."

Alaric could only nod. The officer walked quickly out of the building, leaving Alaric alone.

Alone with his thoughts.

* * *

**Once again, tell me what you think in a review. And I'm serious. Of all my stories, this one is at the bottom of the list. So I update it last. If you want to see what happens, YOU HAVE TO REVIEW!**


	8. Who am I?

**Well I was hoping to get more reviews, but glad to see people like this story. PS I am a review ADDICT! Which means that if you don't review, I don't continue the story.**

**Note, this is another of my favorite chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or the songs. All I did was combine them.**

* * *

_**Les Miserables**_

**Who am I?**

The sun was beginning to set over Montreuil-sur-Mer. Alaric was still pacing in the empty factory.

Niklaus had told him they found Alaric Saltzman. They found the wrong person. Now, Alaric was in a dilemma. He could either save himself for the sake of the town. Or, he could save an innocent man.

_He thinks that man is me  
He knew him at a glance.  
That stranger he has found  
This man could be my chance._

He started to feel anger. Rage. He had worked so hard to change who he was. He had a life for himself now. He could not just throw it away.

_Why should I save his hide?  
Why should I right this wrong?  
When I have come so far  
And struggled for so long?_

It bothered him. He knew he had a choice to make. The weight of the world bore down on Alaric as he pondered this seemingly impossible decision. Either way, he was sacrificing himself. So, the only question was, which was the lesser evil?

_If I speak, I am condemned.  
If I stay silent, I am damned._

He stormed across the factory into his office, slamming the door shut behind him. No. He couldn't turn himself in. The town needed him. The factory needed him. The women who worked at his factory needed him. Caroline needed him.

_I am the master of hundreds of workers  
They all look to me!  
How can I abandon them?  
How will they live  
If I am not free?_

But on the other hand, this was an innocent man who had done no wrong. To lie like he did would be to damn his soul. Could he really live with that? Or could he live with dooming his workers to a life of poverty?

_If I speak, they are condemned.  
If I stay silent, I am damned._

* * *

Alaric had walked home that night. He needed the time to think. And yet he still had no answers. He sat down in front of his mirror, starring at his reflection. This dilemma wasn't just about the other people, it was about himself. It was about everything he stood for. At this crossroads, he just didn't know anymore.

_Who am I?  
Can I condemn this man to slavery?  
Pretend I do not feel his agony?  
This innocent who bears my face;  
Who goes to judgment in my place!_

Something began to stir inside him. It was confidence. The feeling was small, but it was growing within him; within his heart. He searched through his belongings, getting all of his money which he stuffed into his pockets.

_Who am I?  
Can I conceal myself forevermore?  
Pretend I'm not the man I was before?  
And must my name, until I die,  
Be no more than an alibi?_

He grabbed his coat and pulled it on. This would be his only chance. The confidence in his heart was swelling now, giving him a sense of pride in everything about who he was. The good…and the bad.

_Must I lie?  
How can I ever face my fellow men?  
How can I ever face myself again?  
My soul belongs to God, I know,  
I made that bargain long ago!_

He paused in what he was doing. He turned back to look at the mirror, and he stared at his reflection. Alaric could see the fire burning in his eyes. He knew what he had to do now.

_He gave me hope  
When hope was gone!  
He gave me strength to journey on!_

Quickly, he rushed outside. He had a carriage waiting for him. He got in, and ordered the driver to take him to the courthouse as quickly as possible. It was seconds before Alaric felt the carriage take off at a quick pace. He only hoped he wasn't too late. He had made his choice. He knew exactly who he was now. He knew what he had to do. And nothing was going to stop him.

_Who am I?  
Who am I?_

"I'm Alaric Saltzman!" He whispered to himself. That whisper held all the strength and confidence that most shouts didn't. It was his admission.

* * *

The doors to the courthouse burst open. Everyone turned to see who was walking in. Alaric stormed down the aisle. The judge and Niklaus both watched him with wide eyes.

Alaric walked up to the pedestal the accused man stood at. He helped the scrawny looking man off the stand. Alone before the court, Alaric stood valiantly. He turned to Niklaus, eyeing him confidently.

_And so Niklaus, you see it's true  
This man bears no more guilt than you_

Alaric ripped open his shirt, revealing the hammer shaped burn mark on his chest. The entire courtroom jumped up in an uproar. People shouting at each other. Niklaus only glared. Alaric remained confident. His confession was one of pride in his name and who he was. It seemed louder than the commotion in the room.

_Who am I?  
24601!_

The crowd got louder. The judge banged his gavel, trying to get order. In the ruckus, no one saw Alaric run out of the courthouse. Now that the world knew who he was, he had a very limited window of time.

He would use that window to see Caroline and say goodbye to her.

* * *

**Once again, tell me what you think in a review. And I'm serious. Of all my stories, this one is at the bottom of the list. So I update it last. If you want to see what happens, YOU HAVE TO REVIEW!**


	9. Come to Me

**Well I was hoping to get more reviews, but glad to see people like this story. PS I am a review ADDICT! Which means that if you don't review, I don't continue the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or the songs. All I did was combine them.**

* * *

_**Les Miserables**_

**Come to me**

Night had fallen over the hospital. The nurses lit a lamp beside Caroline's bed before they left her alone. Caroline's body shook and she pulled the white cloth to her mouth as she coughed violently. Pulling it away, the cloth was now stained red.

She was drenched in sweat, and yet she felt so cold. Trying to be warm, she pulled her blanket up to her shoulders.

Through blurry vision, Caroline turned to her side. As she blinked, her vision changed from the dingy walls of the hospital to a group of children. They were all playing in a field on the hill. But there was no sun. It had set behind the hill. Suddenly, she knew what had to be done. It was time for her daughter to come home.

_Vicki it's turned so cold.  
Vicki it's past your bedtime.  
You've played the day away,  
And soon it will be night_

One of the children stopped playing immediately. She was dressed in a pretty little blue dress. Slowly, she left the other children and started walking toward Caroline. The woman smiled and used her strength to lift her head up.

_Come to me, Vicki, the light is fading.  
Don't you see, the evening star appearing?  
Come to me, and rest against my shoulder.  
How fast the minutes fly away,  
And every minute colder._

She was getting closer, a warm smiled on her face. Caroline managed to reach out her hand toward the child. The girl smiled and kept walking to her.

Alaric walked in to see Caroline. Her hand was extended to thin air and she was calling for "Vicki." Suddenly a deep pain struck his heart. He had failed her. He could not get her daughter to her. And now, she was so sick she was imagining her. Her listened to her call for her daughter.

_Hurry near, another day is dying.  
Don't you see the evening star appearing?  
There's a darkness which comes without a warning,  
But I will sing you lullabies and wake you in the morning._

Alaric couldn't bear to watch her any longer. He had to break her out of her delusions. Even if it was painful for her. He walked to her to sit at the stool by her bedside.

**Oh, Caroline  
Our time is running out.  
But Caroline,  
I swear this on my life**

Caroline turned to him. She looked back to see her daughter had run back to the children. Seeing Vicki happy brought a smile to her face. She pointed to them, turning to Alaric.

_Look monsieur  
Where all the children play_

Alaric rubbed her cheek, her sweaty cheek. She looked at him again. "Shh." He whispered.

**Be at peace.  
Be at peace evermore.**

Something made Caroline panic. She looked toward the children again only to see they were gone. She once again saw reality, the hospital walls. Immediately, she understood. She turned to Alaric, silent tears falling from her eyes and mingling with the sweat.

_My Vicki  
_**Shall live in my protection  
**_Take her now  
_**Your child will want for nothing  
**_Good monsieur,  
You come from God in Heaven.  
_**And none shall ever harm Vicki  
As long as I am living.**

Caroline could only smile weakly. She knew she was dying, and she understand what she just did. She assigned this man, practically a stranger, for her daughter. Her whole body lurched again as she went through another violent coughing fit. Alaric embraced her as she coughed her lungs up into her cloth. Pulling it away, there was more red than before.

Alaric laid her back down. He was concerned for her. He tried to tuck her in, but she ripped the blankets off of herself.

After her last fit, Caroline felt something leave her body. She had limited time now. She raised her hand to Alaric, her savior.

_Take my hand,  
The night grows ever colder._

"Then I will keep you warm." Alaric held her hand as he placed the blankets back on her. Caroline shook her head, silently asking him to stop.

_Take my child,  
I give her to your keeping_

"Take shelter from the storm!" Alaric sounded urgent. He released her hand and tried to tuck her in again. Caroling wouldn't have it. Using the last of her strength, she sprung her body forward and latched onto Alaric in a tight embrace. Alaric stopped. He brought his arms around her and returned the hug. Sobs wracked her body as she cried.

_For God's sake,  
Please stay 'till I am sleeping,  
And tell Vicki I love her  
And I'll see her when I wake_

She trailed off into a whisper. Then Alaric felt it; She slumped against his body. He arms dropped to her side as she went grip. Slowly, as if she were porcelain, Alaric laid her down; her head slumped to the side. He brought her arms up and folded them on her chest. He touched his thumb and forefinger to her eyelids, and closed her eyes for her, sending her off into eternal sleep.

Caroline Forbes was gone.

* * *

**I got chills writing this! What about you?**

**Once again, tell me what you think in a review. And I'm serious. Of all my stories, this one is at the bottom of the list. So I update it last. If you want to see what happens, YOU HAVE TO REVIEW!**


	10. The Confrontation

**Well I was hoping to get more reviews, but glad to see people like this story. PS I am a review ADDICT! Which means that if you don't review, I don't continue the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or the songs. All I did was combine them.**

* * *

**PLEASE READ THIS NOTE! IT'S IMPORTANT!**

_**For this chapter, you are gonna see parenthesis:**_

_Lyrics  
(Lyrics)_

_**That means that two people are singing over each other- they're singing at the same time. I'll try to make that clear in the story, but I thought you guys deserved a warning.**_

* * *

_**Les Miserables**_

**The Confrontation**

Alaric didn't know how long he sat there over Caroline's dead body, mourning her. It had to have been a while. All alone, in the dimly lit room, he heard heavy footsteps walk into the room and stop. Turning around, Alaric saw Niklaus staring down at him with that stone-faced look.

Alaric wasn't surprised. He knew Niklaus would catch up to him. He just hoped it wasn't so soon.

Niklaus was livid. How dare this man escape him. No one gets away from the law. No one! His grip tightened on his rapier.

_Saltzman, at last  
We see each other plain!  
Monsieur Le Mayor  
You'll wear a different chain!_

Alaric jumped to his feet. Picking up the stool he was sitting on, he held it up between him and the officer. He backed up to the wall, Caroline's lifeless peaceful body next to him.

**Before you say another word, Niklaus,  
Before you chain me up like a slave again,  
Listen to me! There is something I must do!**

Niklaus' only response was removing his rapier from his belt. Alaric sidestepped him and on the other side of the bed; putting the dead woman between him and the officer.

**This woman leaves behind a suffering child!  
There is none but me who can intercede,  
In mercy's name, three days are all I need!  
Then I'll return, I pledge my word.  
Then I'll return-**

Niklaus drew the blade from its sheath, cutting him off. The constable pointed his weapon at the convict.

_You must think me mad!  
I've hunted you across the years.  
Men like you can never change!  
A man, such as you!_

Niklaus swung his blade only for Alaric to block it with the stool. He was determined to condemn the man while Alaric was only determined to prove his truthfulness. They began to assert themselves, talking over each other.

**Believe in me, what you will!  
**_(Men like me can never change!)  
_**There is a duty that I'm 'worn to do!  
**_(Men like you can never change!)  
_**You know nothing of my life!  
**_(No! 24601!)  
_**All I did was steal some bread!**

Niklaus moved past the bed, charging at Alaric with his blade swinging. Alaric blocked him at every move with the wooden stool. Slowly, their exchange of words became louder.

_My duty is to the law!  
_**(You know nothing of the world!)  
**_You have no rights!  
_**(You would sooner see me dead!)  
**_Come with me 24601!  
_**(But not before)  
**_Now the wheel has turned around!  
_**(I see this justice done!)  
**_Alaric Saltzman is nothing now!_

Alaric was taken over by a sudden urge of anger. How dare Niklaus stop him from doing good. There was a child suffering and he wanted to help. All Niklaus saw in him was the criminal. Redemption was something that Niklaus didn't believe in.

Overtaken by his rage, Alaric struck him with the stool. Niklaus was forced to go on the defensive. It required a lot of the officer's strength as the thin blade of his rapier was not as durable as the stool. The talking over each other became louder until the two were shouting.

**I am warning you Niklaus!  
**_(Dare you talk to me of crime?)_  
**I'm a stronger man by far!  
**_(And the price you had to pay?)  
_**There is power in me yet!  
**_(Every man is born in sin!)  
_**My race is not yet run!  
**_(Every man must choose his way!)_

The two moved away from Caroline's bed as they exchanged words and blows. Both were motivated by anger. It was either surrender or die. And it was possible that someone wasn't going to leave that room. They both screamed in each other's faces.

_You know nothing of Niklaus!  
_**(I am warning you Niklaus!)  
**_I was born inside a jail!  
_**(There is nothing I won't dare!)  
**_I was born with scum like you!  
_**(And if I have to kill you here,)  
**_I am from the gutter too!  
_**(I'll do what must be done!)**

Alaric saw an opening in Niklaus' attack and he took it. He swung the stool with great force, shattering it across the cop's back. The force of the hit caused Niklaus to fall to his knees; taking this opportunity, Alaric wrestled the blade free from Niklaus and held it too his throat. The officer only growled at him in response.

Alaric was there. He could do it. Just push the blade forward and end it. He was about to, when he looked back up at the girl. His anger left him, and he remembered what his task was. Save a child's life.

Niklaus was livid. This criminal, this common trash had bested him. He was going to get away again. No! He couldn't have that.

The two made both made promises. Alaric to Caroline. And Niklaus to Alaric.

**And this I swear to you tonight  
**_There is no place for you to hide!  
_**Your child will live within my care,  
**_Wherever you may hide away!  
_**And I will raise her to the light.**

Although both promising different things and to different people, they both ended their vows the same way.

_**I swear to you  
I will be there!**_

In Alaric's distraction, Niklaus swiped the sword away from his throat and charged at the convict. Alaric moved too slowly and Niklaus managed regain his sword. Alaric jumped back dodging the swing. Niklaus lunged at him; Alaric stepped to the side, dodging the stab. His fist met the cop's face, knocking him out cold.

With Niklaus out, Alaric ran out the door and vanished into the night.

* * *

**Ok, this was actually really hard to write.**

**Once again, tell me what you think in a review. And I'm serious. Of all my stories, this one is at the bottom of the list. So I update it last. If you want to see what happens, YOU HAVE TO REVIEW!**


	11. Castle on a Cloud

**Well I was hoping to get more reviews, but glad to see people like this story. PS I am a review ADDICT! Which means that if you don't review, I don't continue the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or the songs. All I did was combine them.**

* * *

_**Les Miserables**_

**Castle on a Cloud**

It was a gentle morning in the town of Montfermeil. The clocks indicated it was morning anyway. You couldn't tell otherwise for the sun had not yet risen.

At the south end of town was a run-down inn. It stood at two stories tall and looked more like a ruin than an in.

In the blackness of the early, sunless morning, lights shown from the windows. Lamps were dimly lit in the lobby.

Through the poorly lit lobby, a tiny girl walked. In her hands was a large broom which she swiped from left to right in a sleeping motion. She carefully weaved through the tables and chairs, sweeping as she went. It was hard though. The broom was too big for a little girl and she had to hold it awkwardly just to use it.

This was Caroline's daughter, Vicki. She was a little girl. She had long brown hair and brown eyes to go with them. Her clothes were tattered rags and her body was smeared with dirt and grime, obvious signs that she was being mistreated by her caretakers.

Despite all this, her will remained unbroken. She was strong-willed and durable for a young girl. Even if her guardians broke her body, they couldn't break her spirits or her dreams. In fact, she dreamed while she swept.

_There is a castle on a cloud.  
I like to go there in my sleep.  
Aren't any floors for me to sweep,  
Not in my castle on a cloud._

As per her morning chores, Viki also set the tables for the guests of the inn. She set the tables with crude wooden dinnerware, her caretakers being too cheap to buy decent metal dinnerware. Once she finished, Vicki leaned on the table and rested her head on her hands, continuing to dream.

_There is a room that's full of toys.  
There are a hundred boys and girls.  
Nobody shouts or talks too loud,  
Not in my castle on a cloud._

She picked up the broom and continued sweeping. She weaved through the lobby to one of the windows. Looking at the dimly lit sky, she allowed herself to be swept away by her dream. She could see this dream world so clearly. She could picture it perfectly. Even her mother was there.

_There is a lady all in white,  
Holds me and sings a lullaby,  
She's nice to see and she's soft to touch.  
She says, "Vicki, I love you very much."_

Sighing, Vicki set the broom down. She looked at the fading stars. The realization dawned on her as it always did. This would only be a dream. It could never be her life. Even if that was true, nothing could stop Vicki from dreaming it. Even when the work was too hard and made her cry, she refused to accept this as her life. There was a better one out there for her. Vicki knew it.

_I know a place where no one's lost.  
I know a place where no one cries.  
Crying at all is not allowed!  
Not in my castle on a cloud._

From upstairs, the sound of a door slamming could be heard. Vicki looked up in fear as footsteps stomped quickly across the upstairs hallway. Frightened, she quickly grabbed the broom and swept rapidly, as if time was against her.

"Oh no!" She whispered frantically to herself. "I think I hear them now!" She moved faster with the broom, which was futile as it only kicked the dust everywhere. "I'm nowhere near finished sweeping, and scrubbing, and polishing the floors!"

"VICKI!" A harsh female voice called.

"Oh it's her!" Vicki gasped. "It's madame!" She spoke under her breath.

A woman stood at the foot of the stairs. She was a woman in her mid-twenties but she looked much older. Her head was tilted to the side, like she was too lazy or her neck was too weak to hold it up. Her long blonde hair was curled and knotted as if fell down her body. Her blue eyes looked tired and blood shot. The pale skin of her face was sloppily lathered in creamy white powder, making her look ghost white. Her lips were painted blood red, but it looked sloppy, shaky, and uneven. Even the black lining of her eyes was terribly done. She looked like a dirty clown.

She wore a white dress and the neckline fell off her, exposing her shoulders. Around her waist, a pale pink corset hugged her accentuating her curves. The lower half of her body and dress was covered by a tattered green apron that had various patches of fabric.

Hey tired, bloodshot eyes zeroed in on the tiny girl and she let out a low dangerous growl.

"Madame Rebekah." Vicki lowered her head as she inaudibly whispered.

The woman, Madame Rebekah only growled again.

**Now look whose here  
The little madam herself.  
Pretending once again she's been so awfully good.**

She stepped off the bottom step and walked across the room, lifting her head to keep her eyes on Vicki as she moved through the lobby. Vicki couldn't help but shrink away under her gaze.

**Better not let me catch you slacking,  
Better not catch my eye!  
Ten rotten francs your mother sends me,  
What's that going to buy?**

She reeked of alcohol, which only fueled her uncalled for anger at the girl. She opened a closet and pulled out a wooden bucket. She hurled it across the room and it landed at the girl's feet with a heavy thud. Vicki gave a yell and jumped away from it.

**Now take that pail,  
My little "Mademoiselle,"  
And go and fetch some water from the well.**

Quickly, Vicki grabbed the bucket and skidded into the shadows. Thinking she had left, Rebekah went about her business. She lit more of the lamps, filling the room with more light. She then went to the front door and opened it. She flipped the sign on the front to the side reading "open." All the while, she ranted about the little brat she was forced to care for.

**We should never have taken you in in the first place!  
How stupid the things we do!  
Like mother, like daughter,  
The scum of the street!**

"Mama?" A voice interrupted Rebekah's cursing. Said woman looked up to see another little girl walking down the stairs. Unlike Vicki, this girl was well cared for; probably because she was Rebekah's daughter. Contrary to Vicki's rags, this little girl was in a pretty dress with a beautiful blue bonnet. From behind the bonnet, the girl's dark hair rained down in curls.

Forgetting about the brat she was caring for, Rebekah smiled at the child and walked to meet her at the stairs.

**Elena, my dear,  
Elena, let me see you,  
You look very well in that little blue hat.  
There's some little girls who know how to behave,  
And they know what to wear,  
And I'm saying "thank heaven" for that.**

Elena looked past her mother and grinned smugly. Rebekah raised her eyebrow and turned around to see what her daughter was smirking at. She turned around to see Vicki, clutching the bucket and crying in the shadows.

That girl hadn't done what she was told to do. And the rage came back to Rebekah as she stormed to the girl.

**Still there Vicki?  
Your tears will do you know good!  
I told you fetch some water from the well in the wood.**

Wiping her eyes, Vicki stepped forward, still holding the bucket. She tried to plead to her caretaker and abuser not to send her into the woods.

_Please do not send me out alone.  
Not in the darkness on my own-_

Rebekah cut her off by slapping her across the face, which brought fresh tears into the girl's eyes.

**Enough of that!  
Or I'll forget to be nice!**

Grabbed her by the front of her dress, Rebekah lifted the girl off the ground. Vicki winced as the strong stench of alcohol assaulted her senses. Furious bloodshot eyes bore down at her.

**You heard me ask for something  
And I never ask twice!**

She dropped the girl onto the ground. Not wanting to be there anymore, Vicki scrambled to her feet, picked up the bucket and ran out into the woods.

* * *

**So new characters are introduced. We have another one in the next chapter. And also in the next chapter, I'll take your mind off the drama with some comic relief.**

**Once again, tell me what you think in a review. And I'm serious. Of all my stories, this one is at the bottom of the list. So I update it last. If you want to see what happens, YOU HAVE TO REVIEW!**


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